Wedding on Juno
by persian85033
Summary: The girls must go to Juno, who is to be married.
1. Chapter 1

The four asteroidal duchesses were thrilled to see each other. It had been quite a while.

"I've had everything prepared for ages!"said Juno, as they met in the great hall of the Palace of Juno.

They stood while all of the staff bowed before each one.

"For ages!"exclaimed Ceres. " _This_ will take for ages."

"You have been engaged since when?"asked Pallas.

"Since a few months ago. I am so excited!"answered Juno.

"You haven't met your bridegroom, though?"asked Ceres. "Even viewed him?"

"A few times. I can't wait to meet him, though! Imagine! I'm to be a bride!"

"A bride to someone you don't know."


	2. Chapter 2

"How _grand_?"asked Ceres. "But you don't know him!"

"But I'm to be married."Juno pointed out. "I'm to be a bride."

"I don't see how that is a grand thing."said Vesta.

"It's a grand thing in that you do your duty."Pallas said.

"Now you sound like my parents."Ceres sighed.

Kunzite and Minako always stressed the exact same thing.

In the apartments set aside for Ceres, Malwina and Fayruza oversaw the putting away of her things.

" _Our_ mistress is Duchess of Ceres, heiress to the Princess of Venus, the Soldier of Love, the Leader of the Guardian Senshi, the Lady of the Doves,"Malwina went on to list all of Minako's titles. "You will see that she outshines the bride herself."

"Is it a competition of some sort?"asked Fayruza, looking at the fine jewels and dresses.

Ceres was always well dressed, but they had taken great care to choose some of the very best silks and jewels.

Malwina frowned.

"You could say it is, looking at it that way, now that I think about it."Malwina admitted. "But whatever it is, we must really put in extra effort."

Theirs was the job of getting Ceres ready for the day. Getting her dress ready, dressing her hair, seeing what jewels or accessories she would wear during the day. The day would begin with going to the schoolroom after breakfast, taking lessons until early afternoon, different lessons every day. Ceres especially enjoyed dancing and riding, and loved the childrens' balls given by her mother whenever she was Ceres. After lessons, they would play board games, sew, play cards, or talked about whatever Ceres wished to talk about.

"Just what did you think of those girls wearing the dark rose and lavendar?"asked Malwina.

"The ones with the veils?"asked Fayruza.

Malwina nodded.

"I think they give you the feeling of a snake."she said.

Fayruza's eyes widened.

"If my aunt is domineering, these ones look like they are more so."

The four duchesses played billiards, when someone else walked in. They looked up, as everyone else in the room stood back.

"Small Lady!"they exclaimed, and did their curtsies.

It felt a little odd, thought the four girls. At their own courts, each was the highest ranking girl and first lady, and people bowed to them. Here, the other duchesses didn't curtsey, either. One could not possibly curtsy to someone of their own rank! The only people Ceres curtseyed to were her parents. And that only when ceremony was necessary.

"You are here for my wedding!"exclaimed Juno.

"It's the first wedding I've ever been to!"she said. "And the first of any of ours! It isn't fair that you get to marry first! Imagine, getting to wear a beautiful dress, and have a beautiful wedding, and being a bride!"

"My mama will bake the cake herself!"said Juno proudly.

"Obviously!"

"But you haven't even met your bridegroom."said Ceres.

"I'm excited to! And I have been sent a miniature of him! He is a prince of Lelantos."

"Luna was disappointed because you are not to be married to a prince of Mau."Small Lady told them.

"A prince of Mau?"

"She and Artemis are from Mau. It makes sense that she might want a good match for someone from her own planet."said Pallas.

"The Princess of Mau will still be coming to the wedding, though?"asked Vesta.

"Obviously."

"Well, I have been matched with a prince of Lelantos."said Juno. "My parents are very pleased with the match."

"When I marry, _I_ will make my _own_ match."said Ceres. "Not anyone else."

"My Lady Grandmother says she would rather the wedding be set back a little."said Small Lady seriously.


	3. Chapter 3

"I guess that makes sense."said Ceres. "One would have to meet the bridegroom."

"I have already met him!"exclaimed Juno impatiently.

She stood up and brought over a miniature.

"You see?"

She showed the other girls the miniature.

"That's a portrait, not him."said Pallas. "What if it's a portrait of someone else?"she asked.

"They would never dare send a portrait of someone else!"exclaimed Juno.

"Oh, I suppose they could."Vesta agreed. "Before you met him, how would you know the difference? Especially after you're married by proxy?"

"My Lady Grandmother will not allow a proxy wedding."Small Lady told them. "She wants you to meet him first."

Juno looked chagrined.

"But that will slow things down even more."she pointed out. "Besides, I want to marry while I am still Duchess of Juno. I don't want to wait forever!"

Ceres tapped Juno's arm with her fan.

"Isn't it treasonous to talk about the death of the current princess?"she pointed out.

Juno ignored her.

"Well, whatever."Vesta shrugged.

"I wanted the next 'bride' to not be a game, but to be a real bride."Juno said.

"A game?"

"We play that we will brides."Juno sighed. "Sometimes even hausfraus."

"Er, hausfraus?"asked Pallas.

The others looked either blank or surprised.

"You…you want to be a hausfrau?!"she asked.

"Just because you're a princess doesn't mean you can't."Juno pointed out.

"I'd _much_ rather be a vestal."said Vesta.

"Well, I would like to be a fashion designer, and I will love to set the style for my own court. My mama always loves my new dresses. Sometimes she can tell when I wear one of my own designs. Launcekrona says it's not just the dress, but how I wear it, too."

She designed very beautiful dresses and jewels, as well as excelled as dancing, which pleased her mother. She was also a brilliant horsewoman, which pleased her father.

"I can be a scholar and a princess and senshi."Pallas told them.

"What games do you play on Pallas?"Ceres asked Pallas.

"We read and do different trivia. We hold many chess competition. I've won many of them."

"We look for poppies, or lilies."Ceres told them. "Someone hides a lot of them, and everyone else looks for them. Whoever finds the most wins. Sometimes we hide. The person looking wears and acorn necklace, the person they're supposed to find holds a bouquet of poppies. We fill horns of plenty, too. To see who can fill theirs with the most fruit, or grains."

"We play rivers."Juno told them. "We pretend we're rives, and we name all the different mountain ranges, towns, and other places we pass. And we do gymnastics."

"We try to get to one particular place, usually the hearth, by not touching the floor. We mostly jump over the furniture."she giggled. "Any one who touches the floor in any way, must go back and start again."said Vesta. "We also play one to see whose fire can keep burning longest. There are rooms where there several hearths, and light one in each, and see who can keep their fire burning longest, and read them."

"Don't the rooms ever catch fire?"asked Small Lady.

"Not that I've ever known."said Vesta.

"I don't have my own court, but some of the girls of the higher nobility in my mother's court."said Small Lady. "But those do sound like fun."


	4. Chapter 4

"Did you see the ladies wearing many when you lived on Earth?"asked Malwina.

"Adventurines? Yes. Many wore them on brooches, earrings, rings…but entire parures of adventurine?"asked Fayruza. "Lord Kunzite does have one. Or rather, in his family. His mother did, I know. Today, it probably graces Her Highness's person. I am sure one day it shall be the same with Her Grace."

"I wonder if Her Grace of Juno has such a thing. She will need it. An arranged marriage!"continued Malwina.

"I shall have an arranged marriage, too."Fayruza told her.

"Oh, right."Malwina remembered. "What if you don't want the marriage?"

Fayruza looked surprised.

"I don't think that would count for much. I'm to marry wherever I'm told, which will probably to wherever it would be to Lord Kunzite's interest."

"I think Her Grace of Juno is, too."

That was something that was talked about much about among Ceres's household. On Venus, arranged marriages were forbidden. It was up to the ones marrying to choose. If it had been forced in any way, the marriage would not be considered valid.

"She seems eager enough for the marriage, however."continued Malwina.

"That's more than enough."said Fayruza.

The four duchesses and Small Lady played billiards.

"I'm tired of billiards."said Vesta.

"That's only because you keep losing."said Pallas.

"It's because we've played it very long!"

"We should do what you said."Small Lady told Juno. "I've never been a hu-ha-"

"Hausfrau."Juno finished for her.

"I'd much rather do something else."said Vesta.

She looked at Small Lady, hoping she wouldn't insist.

"A hausfrau is something like a vestal."Juno told Vesta. "And you said you would like to be a vestal. Only a hausfrau would be a married vestal."

"Well, exactly! That would just be the point! Vestals do not marry!"

It seemed Vesta and Juno were seeing the opposite ends of the same thing. Both would like to keep house, only one without a husband, and one with.

"Only, princesses have to marry, and I'm to be a princess. I have a duty to provide for the succession."Vesta continued. "Otherwise, whatever for? Men are weak, they easily allow themselves to be seduced, they are easily led. You should know many keep mistresses."

It seemed she had a great contempt for them.

"Some of them even keep other children! They are called natural children. You have no idea how many such brothers and sisters my mother has! My Lady Grandmother must have suffered a lot of humiliation! Can you only imagine!"

"My father has such a daughter, and she is in my retinue, you know!"Ceres told them.

Vesta scowled.

"You _see_? Just how disgraceful! I know such a thing would never be allowed in my mother's court! Not in mine, either."

Ceres looked confused. Other than the fact that planetary princesses only had one daughter, she didn't think anything too different about her half sister. Fayruza was one of her favorite attendants, along with Malwina.

"Do you have such siblings?"asked Pallas.

Vesta looked as though that had never crossed her mind.

"Of course not!"she said, however. "No! Never! That-that could never happen!"

Ceres could tell she was very upset.

"I didn't mean to upset you. But, Fayruza is allowed at _my_ court. And at my mother's, too, I'm sure. And she is allowed among my retinue. Wherever I go."she said, referring to Fayruza.

"Anyone's attendants are welcome at my wedding!"said Juno, looking distressed.

"But there is a Prince Consort of Mars."said Small Lady. "When you are crowned, won't you want one, too? A husband for yourself, and a consort for your throne? And a lovely wedding! Mama wants Papa to be crowned with her when she becomes Empress!"

"Men aren't fit to reign."Vesta pointed out. "As for a consort, of course there must be one."

"You dislike the current consort so much?"asked Ceres.

She had always been fond of _both_ of her parents. Her mother _and_ her father.

Vesta's expression changed.

"No! I don't dislike him at all!"she looked at her hands.

Obviously, she was still thinking about Ceres's question.

"And I have no siblings like you say!"she said to Ceres.

"That he doesn't reign is one thing, but it doesn't seem like there is a place for him at court."said Pallas.

"Well, there will be a place for the future Duke of Juno at my court!"said Juno. "And a lovely wedding for me. Besides, I can do everything that is expected of a wife. I can embroider, I can be a fine hostess, I can bake, cook, and I am a good dancer, _and_ apart from that I shall be a great ruler and senshi, as well. I can do gymnastics, ballet, and martial arts as well as anyone."


	5. Chapter 5

They were going to meet Juno's fiancée. The Lealtians would arrive in only half an hour.

"Are you excited?"asked Small Lady.

Juno nodded.

"Yes."

She had a miniature of him, which she had shown them. They had exclaimed that he was very handsome, including Vesta. Ceres could tell she was saying it honestly, too, not just out of courtesy. But then, sometimes people did not look like miniatures. Painters would sometimes flatter their subjects.

"I think here they come!"exclaimed Pallas.

Out of the ship stepped the outer princesses. They had been the ones to meet the Rheians. The Rheians stepped behind them. The Saturnian, Uranian, Neptonian, and Plutonian princesses stepped out first. Behind them were the Rheian royal family, including the Princess and Senshi of Lelantos.

Juno was impatient.

"Can you see him?"she asked.

"Aren't you taller than we are?"asked Pallas. "At least Jovians are known for their height."

"I wish I wasn't so right now."said Juno. "What if I tower over him?"she exclaimed.

Ceres was glad she was of average height now that Juno had pointed that out. It really would seem odd to tower over one's dancing partner.

"He can wear heels."she suggested.

She immediately be quiet, when they were given a sharp look by the Princess of Mercury. She decided to stand perfectly still. Behind her, Juno disregarded it.

"I can't _see_."she said.

They saw the Empress step forward.

"My Lady Grandmother is going to meet them!"exclaimed Small Lady. "He _must_ be there."

After the Empress and the Princess of Lelantos exchanged greetings, one of the boys, about their own age stepped up.

After bowing to the Empress, he bowed to the Princess of Jupiter.

"Lady Mother."he said.

He then bowed to Juno, and gave her a bouquet of ten roses.

I thought to make it as much like when Marie Antoinette first met Louis XV with the dauphin, but remembered that Empress Serenity and Juno aren't related, and is not Juno's grandmother like Louis was Louis's grandfather.


	6. Chapter 6

With so many people wearing different livery, the entire place seemed fuller than the palace at Ceres. It was fuller, but it seemed more so because of the different colors everyone was wearing. Ceres's livery was pink and gold. Here, with all the different colors, it made it look _twice_ as full.

Everyone got into the carriage to go from the spaceport to the palace. Instead of riding with the other girls, Juno rode in a different one with her fiancée. With the girls rode the Princess of Rhea in her place.

"This is the first time I've ever met a princess or senshi from another star system."said Ceres.

"Oh, you are not senshi are you yet?"asked Rhea.

"No."answered Pallas. "We are heiresses to the planetary senshi."

"I've heard of that. In the Empire of the Moon, each heiress is an asteroidal senshi."she said. "We don't. We are just crown princesses, and wait our own turn."

"I don't."said Small Lady. "My Lady Grandmother had to have a decree drawn up so I could be an Imperial Highness. Mama is Duchess of Serenity, not me. I sometimes wish I could, but I think I like having my Lady Grandmother better."

Small Lady could only be crown princess until her mother was Empress.

"Your swans make lovely hearts!"said Ceres. "My Lady Mother's emblem is a heart. The first time we came here, the Duchess of Juno has an albino peacock, you know. She favors peacocks."

"Hmm, hence the fact that she was dressed in green and blue. And with swan feathers in her hair, and train. It's an honor to come to the solar system and meet the senshi here."said Rhea. "Even more for my brother to marry into one of the royal families here."

"What if they don't like each other?"asked Ceres.

"Who?"asked Rhea.

"Why, the bride and bridegroom."

Rhea looked surprised.

"Why ever should they not? Besides, I don't think that matters too much."

"Of course it matters. It's the most important thing."

"In this case, at least, the most important thing is the marriage treaty."

"I've never fancied people marrying without love."

"It's my understanding Venusians don't."

The Princess of Rhea seemed a little like Vesta. She didn't seem to think too much of marriage, taking it so lightly. It wasn't something to be taken lightly. Juno also seemed to take it lightly, she thought. She was so thrilled at being a bride, she seemed to forget about everything else.

" _I_ won't marry just anyone."said Ceres hotly.

"Temper, temper!"commented the princess of Rhea.

It was important to give a good impression, so she should curb her temper. It wasn't really the time to argue with the princess or any of the others. It would be seen very badly on her parents, the Empress, and everyone else.

"I would run away first, if they tried to make me marry someone I don't love."she said a little more calmly.

"An elopement!"exclaimed the princess of Rhea. "Ah, now _that_ would be _so_ romantic!"

"Only how could you return? Your crown?"Pallas pointed out.

"It would be too late to change things them. I would already be married. And I am Duchess of Ceres, heiress to the Crown of Venus. Nothing could change that. Except that I became princesss."

"I wish we got to ride in an open carriage."said Malwina.

"You still couldn't see everyone."Fayruza pointed out. "Everyone is in front."

Malwina nodded.

"Oh, you wish we would, too."Malwina told her. "From here all you can see is people."

"Don't you like the people here?"asked Fayruza.

"You know what I mean. I want to see the prince and all the other royalty from the other stars. Will you get to be part of the wedding? Or be sitting close by?"

"The princess told me I'll get to sit closer. Not as close as any of the royal guests, but closer than everyone else."said Fayruza. "Among the royal, not ducal, guest."

"Well! They should simply allow you to join the princess's household, rather the duchess's. Still, I'm glad Lord Kunzite preferred you to serve Her Grace, even if my aunt isn't."

"She'd like me even less then!"

"I wonder if I will find someone among the gentlemen here. She would like me to marry very high up, obviously. But you know, one does not rule one's own heart."

"I'm not sure if Lord Kunzite would be pleased if I fell for someone here. He probably wants me to marry back on Earth. Or on Venus."

Luna, Diana, and Artemis rode with the Princess of Mau. Diana had never met her, but had heard much about her from her parents.

"It is such an honor that Your Whiskered Highness chose my parents as ambassadors."she said, enthusiastically.

"The Empress favored them as her advisors."said Mau. "The Princess of Venus, as well, of course."

"I wish I shall get to go to Mau one day!"

"And you will!"assured Artemis.

"Don't think we would ever allow you to not to see Mau!"said Luna. "The first time you leave the solar system will be to see Mau."

"I shall see you are given the most preferred treatment there."said Mau. "What else but the best for the daughter of my two most important subjects?"


	7. Chapter 7

"We don't have such gardens at Lelantos."said the prince of Lelantos, and future Duke of Juno.

The girls, as well as the prince of Lelantos sat on one of the terraces, eating the chocolate cake Juno herself had baked.

"And we have even more gardens! We also have botanical gardens, kitchen gardens, and the most beautiful rose gardens in the galaxy. Colored gardens in just about every color of the rainbow, even roof gardens, too."said Juno.

"What's a roof garden?"asked the prince.

"A garden on a roof."said Juno,

"A garden on a roof?"asked the prince.

"Well, yes. Why do you think it's called a roof garden? And I can't wait to show you the gardens I've designed myself. Some of the gardens are also meant to be viewed from the balconies and upper floors. The flowers create beautiful pictures when viewed from above. I can't wait for you to see all the peacocks, too. I was once given an albino peacock, as a gift! It's a very rare one, so it is not raised to be eaten. What do you think of the cake? I baked and decorated it myself."

"I think it's a little too sweet."said Pallas.

"I wasn't asking you."answered Juno, sounding slightly hurt.

"I think it's the best I've tasted."he said.

Juno beamed.

"It's a recipe I came up with myself. I've never made it before."

"And if it hadn't come out terrible?"asked Ceres.

Juno didn't answer.

"I was sure it would come out well. What's important is that it did!"

Diana walked onto the terrace, and curtseyed to the five girls. She stood a little apart from them.

"Diana!"exclaimed Small Lady. "Where have you been? We haven't seen you since yesterday!"

"Oh, I have the most extraordinary day, Your Imperial Highness. Your Graces."she bowed to the duchesses. "I have met Her Whiskered Majesty, can you believe it?"

"Diana is Mauan."Small Lady explained to the prince of Lelantos.

"We haven't met any of the guests."

"Her Furriness would like me to wear her livery, and join her retinue while she is here!"Diana exclaimed.

Small Lady frowned.

"Oh, you are not going to Mau, are you? It would be terrible if you left!"said Small Lady.

"Of course not, Imperial Highness! My parents are here, and I wish to serve Your Imperial Highness. But I am thrilled and honored to serve Her Whiskered Majesty."

"You're the first one of us to meet the guests."said Ceres. "I would love to meet the Princess of Neptune!"

"Why specifically Neptune?"asked Vesta.

"Why?! Oh, she must wear the most beautiful corral, shells, and pearls! I wonder if she brought her mirror. I've always wanted a mirror from Neptune. My mama has one."

"Are they so different from other mirrors?"asked the prince of Lelantos.

Vesta raised her eyebrows.

"Obviously, I would say either they don't teach history or galactography on Lelantos. Or at least not to you. Are they different from other mirrors!"she said scornfully.

"You do not speak to my fiancé that way!"said Juno.

"It would have to be anyone's fiancé to aske such a _stupid_ question! I am sure the Princess of Lelantos knows better. Excuse me."

She stood and left.

"Just pay no her no mind."said Juno. "She only thinks she's better than anyone else!"

"No."Ceres corrected. "Not everyone, and not herself. She only thinks we are better than boys."

Ceres wondered if perhaps Vesta had a point. She herself knew only a few boys. There were the pages in her household, obviously. And there were always ones in her dancing lessons. How else would one learn to dance waltzes, and other dances?

"The Princess of Pluto once gave me the most beautiful pendant! I'm going to wear it to the betrothal ball!"Small Lady was saying.

She returned her attention to Small Lady and the others.

"Very well thought, Highness!"said Diana, as she jumped on the table.

"It's a pendant made of clock parts! It has one clock hand, and a small key in it, and a lovely clock face. It doesn't tell the time. It's just the face. And a pair of earrings made from clock hands, with gears. Even a brooch shaped like a key made out of clock parts!"

 _I actually really have seen jewelry made out of clock parts. Pendants and earrings, mostly. What caught my interest most when I saw them was how much keys featured in them. There were some shaped like keys, on the pendants they had small keys with the clock hands. Not just keys that look like Pluto's either, but regular keys. I hope they're not the keys to somebody's house or car. I'm guessing keys have more symbolism with time than I thought! There could be more to Sailor Pluto's keys than meets the eye, perhaps._

 _The girls will meet some of the other senshi in the next ch. And perhaps maybe one of them will soon be following in Juno's footsteps soon._


	8. Chapter 8

Ceres had never been to such a grand ball before. Her mother arranged children's balls for her, for her birthdays, and other things at the Palace of Ceres, but they were nothing like this one. Her own guest were mostly boys and girls of noble birth. Here, there were also grown ups, and from different parts of the galaxy, too! She wasn't shy, but here, she was so awestruck, she didn't know what to say.

She wore one of her very best dresses, in the Lunarian Imperial style. Her customary pink, obviously, but with oak leaves sown with the acorns, as well as peacocks embroidered in them, in honor of the hosting planet. The leaves fit perfectly, as her own emblem was an acorn. Green and blue were just not very becoming to her, she thought, so she wore her own colors. Fortunately, the girdle for the Order of Aphrodite was gold, so it fitted with the colors perfectly, as well as the star for it. Behind it, on her waist, she wore a large bow. Her dress was trimmed with bows so fashionable on Venus. Although her hair was dressed differently, she still wore a bow in it.

There was one woman was wearing seemed to be part of the dress itself. Not with a shawl, either, but her shoulders were completely covered. Were they completely modest at her planet?though Ceres. Although she wore a lace woven pearl choker herself, almost from chin to shoulders tasseled with pink tourmaline acorns, she wore a Bertha neckline. Not a single inch of skin could be seen except on her face, and Ceres thought that if she could wear a mask, she would. She wore an inordinate amount of jewelry, however and looked completely out of place. Others had what looked liked landscapes instead of patterns embroidered on their dresses.

Some of them wore panniers that were wider than they themselves were tall. Ceres didn't wear panniers.

Small Lady was talking enthusiastically to the Princess of Pluto. Ceres knew they were friends. Small Lady went to visit her often at the Space Time Door. The Princess looked happy, at the ball. Another caught her attention. There was no way she could miss the aquamarine color, as well as the trident on the dress, and she certainly recognized the heirloom jewelry she wore. They had been presented earlier. The Princess of Neptune was speaking to the Princess of Uranus.

Ceres went and did her curtsy to them.

"I am Duchess of Ceres, Your Royal Highnesses."she said. "I believe we were present by Her Imperial Majesty."

"Oh! Yes."said Neptune. "The daughter of the Princess of Venus and Lord Kunzite."

Ceres nodded enthusiastically.

"I love Your Royal Highness's dress!"she complemented Neptune.

"Hm, I love Your Royal Grace's manners."Neptune complimented her back.

She could tell that Neptune was a bit amused.

"I'd love to visit her home planet someday!"

"Someday you will, I'm sure."

"Have you ever seen the sea? Really seen the sea? I know there are lovely beaches on Neptune, but that the world below the waves, is even more beautiful. And met mermaids? Mermaids who play at the bottom of the sea with pearls and corrals? Who decorate themselves with seashells, pearls and corrals?"she asked, referring to some of her favorite stories.

"I have met mermaids and received gifts from them."

The princess gestured toward her broach.

"It was a gift I received from the merpeople when I was crowned."

"And you've seen hippocampuses? Or the ones who fly or have horns, like Pegasus and unicorns?"Ceres continued.

Neptune nodded, smiling.

"Yes."

"It is such an honor to meet Your Royal Highness!"Ceres said, curtseying again.

"The same, Your Grace. I do hope you come to Neptune soon. It will be an honor to have you as a guest."

Small Lady was talking enthusiastically to the Princesses of Pluto and Saturn. The Princess of Pluto's jewelry was made of what looked to be old clock parts.

"Have you ever met them?"she asked Ceres.

"Oh, no. I don't believe I have Your Highness."

She did her curtsy for them.

"I only met the Princess of Pluto when we discovered the Space Time Door, remember?"

"Oh, right."Small Lady answered, remembering. "But you've never met Hotaru."

The Princess of Saturn curtsied. The Princess of Saturn was only a little older than Ceres was. They both looked like they felt a little out of place. Neither of them spent much time with people, after all.

"How old are you?"she asked the Princess of Pluto, before remembering it was a question she shouldn't ask.

But still, she was probably the oldest person Ceres had ever met. Older than her parents, and even the Empress. The princess did not seem to take it badly, however.

"Why, as old as time itself."she answered. "But it depends on how you measure age. If you mean in decades, centuries, millennia, eons, then very old. But compared to everyone here, I am really just a little girl, perhaps a toddler. I know nothing of other people. Your Grace is _much_ older than I am. But on Pluto, we don't take time the way people on other planets. The more birthdays one gathers, the luckier one is considered. Other people seem to see it in a negative way."

How could one not like a birthday? Birthdays meant cake, presents, balls, parties, banquests.

"They despise getting old."the princess chuckled. "But doesn't that only means one has is fortunate enough to live longer?"

What the princess said made sense, thought Ceres.

"And remember that time is worth more than anything in the galaxy. Once it is gone, it is gone. It is irreplaceable, it is worth more than gold."

"Well, I think it is possible to have too much time."said Saturn. "When you're just bored."

Small Lady agreed.

"Yes, it definitely is. Especially because we're not allowed to do anything. The grown ups get to, but I don't. That's a lot of time to sit there doing nothing!"said Small Lady.

The Princess of Pluto nodded. She spent so little time with people, she was not good at hiding her emotions, and Ceres being Venusian could read her easily.

"You have much time, Highness, do you not?"she said to Pluto. "More than anyone in the galaxy. You can stop worrying and leave everything for tomorrow. My parents despise that. They are not good procrastinators. They want everything done _now_!"

"Time is worth more than anything in the galaxy. Once it is gone, it is gone. It is irreplaceable."Pluto repeated to the three girls. "And something not to be taken lightly, either. They are only stories, but on Pluto, we take them very seriously, stories about people playing with time and time travel."

"I love your new dress."Small Lady said to the Princess of Saturn.

"Not new, Royal Highness."said the Princess of Saturn. "Simply old _and_ new."

Pluto had preferred to join the Princesses of Neptune and Uranus, leaving the three girls.

"It is the same one I wore when I arrived. I converted an old dress into a new one."

"Wouldn't you just have gotten a new one?"asked Small Lady.

"You save expenses by simply altering an old one."said Ceres.

It was something Minako had repeated many times.

"That is one way to look at it."agreed Saturn. "And of course, it can't remain the same forever, can it?"

"It could."said Ceres. "You can conserve it very well. Some of the things that have been handed down for centuries in the Venusian royal family? In all royal families?"

"No, no. Nothing in the universe can remain the same. Everything has its time. Some might last longer than others, but everything wears out. And when it does, you have to replace it, even if it's just in changing its design or form."

"That would call for a bit of creativity!"exclaimed Ceres. "A lot of Mama's jewelry has been melted down and made into new designs. Even for simple reasons that the new owner likes it better."

 _When I said she wears the Lunarian Imperial style, it's really just the Empire or Regency style, I just added Lunarian to it. It's one of my favorite styles. I_ think _it's actually the one Princess Serenity wears, with the puffed sleeves, and everything, high waistline, and flowing skirt. And Ceres actually wears an Imperial hairstyle, with the ringlets around her face and her back hair in buns. Apart that it's one of my favorites, that's why I selected the Empire style for her._

 _If I could post up pics of the dresses as I imagine them, I would. I have a perfect one for her in a Russian court dress with long, hanging sleeves, and a lovely ducal tiara, as well as an entire set of jewelry themed with acorns and wreaths of wheat._

 _As it is, I'll try my best to describe the best as I can, but if you look up regency style dress and Russian court dresses on google you get an idea._

xSmallLadySerenity13-She's never really known very many. Vesta is also a virgin goddess. Becoming a Vestal was like a priestess. They take an oath of celibacy, and to break it, you were to be buried alive. These would be the ladies who serve her. Vesta was also a fire goddess, too. One of the duties of the Vestals was to keep the fire of Vestal burning. Rei also took a vow of chastity, and given the lack of strong male figures in her life, she also didn't think too highly of them. I might write about her next. Vesta herself would have to be an exception, though. When she succeeds, she'll have to provide for the succession, so she'll have to marry. I'll have to write a fic for her at some point in time.:)


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